GW Black Men's Initiative (BMI)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Monday night I moved a few things off of my schedule to make room to watch the documentary called "Men to Boys." When I arrived at the Lincoln Theater there was a crowd of young black men spilling off the sidewalk. I didn't know what to expect but the place was packed. The night started with the usual introduction of the filmmaker and major people involved in making the project possible. Twenty minutes later, the show started.

It began with the introduction and how the idea for the documentary began. Then it introduced black men from all walks of life who volunteered to be interviewed. During the interviews they all gave their jewels of wisdom that every young black boy needs to know in order to be a man. From there he interviewed people in the street and ask them questions like "Can a woman really raise a man" and "How often do you see your father." They were easy questions but it was obvious that they were the type that people didn't openly discuss.

The intention of the filmmaker was to create an open dialog in the black community. If that was his real goal, he was successful, because the movie certainly didn't provide satisfying answers. It actually left me with more questions. Those questions I pose to you: "What makes a man?" "Why can't a woman raise a man?" Those questions are not rhetorical, if you are reading this please comment.

A few months ago, I wrote a note on Facebook about the pearls of wisdom of I would pass on to my first child who I assume will be a girl. But I think some of the principles are the same, click here. What would you say to your son? Again, that's not rhetorical.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Trust me when I say I don’t mind what the pundits say about President Obama’s slipping approval ratings. He has shown us that he is doing his best and as citizens of the world we must do our best too. One of Africa’s children has shown the world that no longer are the problems of Africa will be ignored. Corruption in the government, poverty, disease, and the weakened education system plagues the many governments but many, including the media turn away from it. Now why not visit his countrymen in Kenya many ask? His goal was not to show Africa’s problems but put the spotlight on a symbol of what the rest of Africa can become: Ghana. The rest of Africa know that of course help is on the way but that means that the governments must hold up their end of the bargain and end habits corrosive to the stability of their nation. Thank you Mr. Obama but it did not have to take this long before the spotlight returned to the dark continent.

Many black people in this country fail to acknowledge their connection to Africa. The conditions of black people’s separation from this rich continent still has an effect to this day and affects the apathy for its problems. The entertainment industry’s depiction of Africans as animals in many movies has made our black people even more ashamed of their continent and long lost heritage. The ills of this continent are as painful to black people in America as it is to Africans. The child soldier’s life in the Congo mirrors that of a young boy in an American inner city struggling to get by. While the file cases against racial profiling and police brutality in this country, our Africans cannot speak up against a government without a secret midnight ride in their future. The education disparities in this country do not compare to the illiteracy rates across the continent that continue to stagger in the midst of destructive changes in government.

Ghana is a shining example of what other African countries can reach one day. Yes, he’s our president but he said it before and he said it again today. He cannot make change without our help. He has acknowledged Africa, so now it’s our turn. So when are people on this side going to realize that an injustice in one part of the world is an injustice everywhere, especially where civilization started? Now is the time to grab ourselves up by the bootstraps and make a better tomorrow for ourselves in America and those of color across the world. African citizens are skeptical of the change that can happen in their countries. With a little more help, a lot could happen and change can be realized in many countries. We have a history of overcoming obstacles at our disposal and with the help of many, Africa’s dream can become true one day, but it’s up to Africa’s long lost children to know if they really care to help.

Monday, July 6, 2009

My recent work with kids in the Jumpstart program has forced me tothink about how to steer our young ones in the best possible path tosuccess, especially the young black males. This is a program gearedtowards college retention but most people will never reach this stagein their lifetime and this may be one of the reasons. Please read:

TIME Magazine recently shed light on how the institution of marriagehas fallen to the wayside in the past couple of decades. Less peopleare getting married and more children are born out of wedlock everyyear. This year alone, births by single mothers nationwide has risento about 37%. Single- parents households are often times mostassociated with lower incomes, gaps in education, and an increase ofjuvenile criminal activity out of that household. It's no secret thatAfrican - Americans are affected the most by these statistics. Thechildren, who are supposed to be the future by the way, fall victim tochoices their parents made and circumstances they were born into.

For a young black man, being without a father means not having someonewho could spend time with him and mold him into a responsible citizen,often times leading him to find other influences such as what onemight see on tv or in the streets. The whole baby mama/ baby daddyphenomenon shows him that it's okay to have babies and not takeresponsibility for their well-being. The way that a young man out of asingle household treats a woman may be totally different than a manwith two parents. I don't mean to make a generalization, but my pointis that for African - Americans the deterioration of the system ofmarriage and the breakdown of the African - American male's power iswhere most of the trouble starts.

As president, there is only so much that Mr.Obama can do to alleviatethe disparities between the social classes in this country. Deliveringour people from this holocaust of poverty will take more than a set oflaws. Believe it or not, research shows that a good life for mostpeople starts with stable relationships and a good marriage. Marriagepromises stability in the home, more cashflow from combined incomes,and an assurance that a child sees an example of the best that lifecan offer them. Most importantly, a good marriage will end thisdestructible cycle of out- of - wedlock marriages and single - parentseventually perpetuating the rise out of the working class and into themiddle and upper class. The time is NOW to set the example and takeback our lives so that our children can see and be the best.--Samuel Collins, Jr.Journalism and Mass Communicationc/o 2011School of Media and Public AffairsThe George Washington UniversityStephen Joel Trachtenburg ScholarCo - President, GW Black Student UnionLeadership Board, The Black Men's Initiative

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Mr. Tapscott came across this. Let's discuss in the comments! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.-J. Russell

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Trading an Education for Thug LifeJune 15, 2009 · 3 Comments

By Dr. Christopher J. Metzler

metzlerIn the past several weeks, we have witnessed "two Black men in a Cadillac" being accused of kidnapping a White woman. The truth was that the woman had voluntarily gone to Disney World and could not tell her husband. He would find it hard to believe that she would go to Disney. It was easier, she reasoned, that he and indeed the world would believe that Black men in a Cadillac would kidnap her. After all, according to her logic, we have a reputation for that.

We also learned that yet another plain clothes Black police officer was shot by one of his colleagues who mistook him for a criminal. We also mourned the shooting and killing of a security officer at the Holocaust Museum by a White supremacist. Leading me to ask the question: "Where can a brother go to get his reputation back?"

Ever since "Birth of a Nation" it has been popular to portray Black men as thugs and criminals. Despite the passage of time, these image have not faded from memory. Instead, they have been used to justify racial profiling of suspects leading to the crimes of "Driving While Black," "Walking While Black" and "Shopping While Black."

These stereotypes apply to Black men no matter our position, education or social status. The impact of this societal marker is a sullied reputation in the minds of society as a whole. Thus, the fact that we have achieved great success and/or education does not exempt us from having our reputation come into question.

Let's be clear that Whites are not exclusively responsible for the racial caricature of Black men as criminals.

Also bearing responsibility are some hip hop artists and scores of young Black men who would rather show us the crack of their behinds than the power of their brains. The result is a reputation for violence and base vulgarity that is coming close to being beyond repair.

First, there are simply too many White people in America, who, with reckless abandon, act on their closely held racialized stereotypes of Black men, resulting in our murder and further marginalization. What is even more disturbing is that the White people of whom I write simply refuse to admit their fidelity to the racial stereotypes. Instead, they choose to blame the routine occurrence of the murder of Black plain clothes officers by their White colleagues as "mistaken identity." If this is to be believed, why don't Black plain clothes officers mistake White plain clothes officers as criminals in as high a number?

Second, Susan Smith, Charles Stewart and other racially conscious criminals understand that their stories have more currency with law enforcement if the alleged perpetrator is a Black man. To be sure, both Tawana Brawley and Crystal Gail Mangum blamed their assaults on White men and both lied. Both women relied on stereotypes. The question, however, is whether their reliance on stereotypes has sullied the reputation of White men in general. Do people see White men more so as criminals now as they did before the allegations? Are Black women likely to claim that they have been abducted by White men in order to cover up a crime? Do White women clutch their pursues when White men are in the elevator with them? Most likely not. This is because in the United States few people have internalized stereotypes of White men as prone to random violence as a result of their race. They have, however, uncritically done so with Black men.

Third, some hip hop artists, athletes and other Black celebrities are also complicit in perpetuating the stereotype of Black man as criminal and thug. One need only look at the penis-centric image of the gangsta life purveyed by the people of whom I write. They are among the most crotch-holding, gyrating images anywhere. There is no excuse for the violent lyrics, misogyny and overreliance on the feigned masculinity they use to make their living. Their profanity-based brand of Black male masculinity is nothing more than a modern day reincarnation of the images that we fought so hard against in the Jim Crow era. The plantation has gone digital, virtual and viral. So while they crank out their latest hit, they also sell out the reputation of Black men knowingly and willingly and then decry racial profiling. Have they no shame?

Fourth, young Black boys and men have bought into the Black man as thug reputation in alarming numbers. Many of our young Black boys are choosing to fail in school because they confuse masculinity with thug life. For them it is not about how hard you study, but how hard you are. Half-dressed and half-educated, they enter a world that has already decided their fate based on a reputation that is part racist, part undeserved and fully difficult to overcome. The reputation of Black men as strong, responsible, intelligent, contributing members of a sometimes hostile American society is close to extinction.

So, where does a Brother go to get his reputation back?

Dr. Christopher J. Metzler is the author of The Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a 'post-racial' America and an associate dean at Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I am an African-American male, and I am a liberal Democrat—not a surprise right? Even before the Democrats elected an African-American as their candidate the party knew they could depend on the African-American vote, and the Republicans knew this as well. Although the Republicans have selected Michael Steele to be their party chairman, it would be surprising for someone not to believe that the main reason he was chosen was because he could critically critique Barack Obama without being called a racist like a white man unfairly would possibly be labeled by some people. One of the reasons Democrats carry the minority vote in such a resounding manner is because the Democratic Party supports many social programs that “help” African-Americans. The Democratic Party pushes for things like affirmative action, and welfare that are meant to help minorities. So, when Republicans go against the Democrats on these issues they are portrayed as racists. The Republican Party believes the way to help minorities is to allow them to stand on their own, and then reward the ones that achieve success—which contrasts with many of the Democratic views. Cornell West in Race Matters stated that the best plan is a compilation of ideas from the Democratic and Republican Party. For example, when talking about the welfare program I do not believe that I should have to pay taxes for people who do not want a job. I do not believe I should have to pay for people that cannot keep a job because they are irresponsible, and I do not believe I should have to pay for adults that consciously make decisions that are not in their best interest. I believe everyone has the right to live how they choose, but that I should not be obligated to pay for someone who constantly makes bad decisions because they believe the government will support them. I do however believe welfare is a program that should not be done away with. The way it is structured hinders more people than it helps though. The program encourages people to live off the government, and makes it easier for a people to become complacent and not advance in society. These are all arguments that Republicans bring up, but because they are seen as the party against minorities people who disagree with them easily refute these claims. The welfare system in America should be restructured to reward people who are trying to make a living for themselves, but because of certain circumstances they need a little help. Here is where the mixing of Republican and Democratic ideas come in: the system must still monetarily support people as Democrats believe, but it must only support those that are making a true effort to support themselves as the Republicans believe they should.

I think both parties have good ideas on a range of issues, but on most fundamental issues I believe the Democrats are correct. I do hope that the Republican Party can become more inclusive, and relinquish some of their alienating ideas. I hope the Republican Party can do this because it is better for the country and for African-Americans if the Democratic Party has to fight for the African- American vote. Right now for an African-American to be Republican is taboo, and to me it creates this environment where the Democrats can take the African-American vote for granted. Right now the two parties are fighting for the large, and growing Hispanic vote. I would like to see a restructured Republican Party that has a chance to steal some of the African-American votes so that the parties fight over their vote as they are over the Hispanic vote. Now, with that being said I am a Democrat and want my party to always be the stronger and more successful party. I am not hoping for the Republican Party to win any elections, but if they can steal African-American voters then the Democratic Party would have no choice but to evaluate how they can serve the African-Americans as they do other demographics when they are fighting for their votes. I do not think it would be hard for Republicans to initiate this battle since most African-Americans are socially conservative (Religious, against gay marriage, support “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”), but the Republican Party would have to get rid of voices like Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, and other Republicans that represent nothing but alienation. If this new Republican Party is ever created it will no longer be taboo to be a black Republican.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

My mentor and good friend Kevin Powell has long been outspoken about issues concerning domestic violence and violence against women. This is his latest piece on the issue in light of the recently alleged incident involving Rihanna and Chris Brown.- J. Russell